Stepping Stones
by mirrorsound
Summary: December 3rd, international pop star Len Kagamine vanished. Four days later, Rin was discovered lying in his mansion's dining room, and was immediatly hospitalized from a bullet wound that left her in critical condition. Now it's up to Miku and Luka to unlock the manor's haunting past and find the culprit—before they become the next victims.
1. Prologue: The Psychopath

**This prologue isn't a direct part of the storyline, so don't freak out that the characters aren't the ones mentioned in the summary. You'll realize the importance of this later on.**

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They say Tei Sukone is insane.

Standing there as her pale pink polonaise* was gradually stained crimson, Tei was beginning to believe them. Her breath was shallow as she tossed the bloodstained knife to the side.

A young woman was staring straight at Tei, her lifeless eyes boring into Tei's soul. A bleeding gash ripped through the deceased woman's chest, right where her heart was. It was a knife wound.

Tei was her murder.

Footsteps approached. Fear ripped through her and Tei took off in the opposite direction, dashing through the hallway adorned with family portraits and intricate wallpaper. She heard the anguished scream behind her, and giving no heed, she undid the metal latch and tugged open the heavy oak door.

Tei lifted the hem of her skirt and descended the winding staircase as fast as she dared, the darkness swallowing her whole. She trusted that she would be capable of navigating the basement chambers without candlelight- after all, she was the only one who bothered to spend time down there.

She picked up her pace when heavy footsteps pounded the steps above her, hot in pursuit. She reached the bottom and brushed her fingertips against the cold stone wall, kicking off her shoes as she ran through the musty air that clogged her nostrils.

She took a series of twists and turns through the maze of corridors, hoping to lose her pursuer. No such luck. An orangey glow basked her back, alerting her to the fact that she was losing ground. The light grew brighter, enough for her to see the cracks between the rows of stones that flanked her. She silently prayed, begging God to forgive her terrible sin.

A hand grasped Tei's collar, yanking her backward as she twisted desperately in an attempt to escape. A lamp was lifted above her face, nearly blinding the girl. She was staring into the wounded eyes of her ex-fiancé. "Why?" He croaked, not bothering to hide the tears streaking his face. "Why are you doing this?"

Tei ripped herself from the man's hold, but made no move to run. Her blood-red eyes narrowed to tiny slits as the man's name slipped her mouth in a serpent-like hiss. "Dell."

Tei had no way of expressing how much it had pained her to see Dell with that girl. If it had been someone else, maybe she would have gotten over it. But he fell for Teto Kasane over her, of all people. The girl who'd insulted Tei ever since they were children. The girl who gossiped with her prudish friends, spreading vicious rumors about Tei.

The girl who'd stolen Dell right from underneath her nose, only because she wished to destroy Tei.

Teto never loved Dell like Dell loved her.

But Tei would never be able to tell Dell. Dell loved Teto with all his heart- Tei couldn't bear to ruin that innocence. She would never be able to inform him all that she overhead Teto say. She'd never be able to tell him what Teto had blatantly spat in front of Tei's face. Tei wasn't that strong.

Maybe if she was stronger, things wouldn't have turned out like this.

Tei grasped the 24-carat gold ring that she still hung around her neck, beneath her clothes. Deep down, she still clung to the hope that Dell would fulfill the promise he had made, the promise he shattered so long ago when Tei first caught him kissing Teto.

But she knew that his promise meant nothing to him. She understood from the start. And it tore her to pieces.

Dell set the lamp at his feet and grabbed Tei by the shoulders, shaking her roughly and forcing her shoulder blades against the wall. He gritted his teeth, seething in a shrill, chocked voice. "What did she ever do to you?! Why did you kill her?!"

Tei forced her gaze into Dell's eyes, tears beginning to spill over. "She deserved to die."

It sounded horrible. Tei knew that killing the girl had been wrong. But she felt no guilt, and it scared even her.

Her heart had been ripped out long ago.

Dell pushed away his waistcoat, revealing a glinting object tucked in his belt. It was a knife.

He grasped the weapon and pushed it against her throat, hands trembling. "You're a monster," he breathed, before digging the blade into her neck- the same bloddied blade she had once held in her own hands, the same exact blade she had used to kill Teto.

Tei didn't feel a thing.

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***A polonaise is dress worn over an underskirt, and was popular article of clothing in the 1880's. I did my research. ;D**


	2. Ruthless Visitor

With the click of a light switch, the room blazed to life, casting eerie shadows across the walls. The young man stepped forward, azure eyes swimming across the many rows of musty bookshelves. Nothing appeared out of place.

He slicked his fingers through his disheveled hair, wondering if the thump he heard moments before was his imagination. He took in the silk draperies that tumbled across the expansive windows, the rustic fireplace with no apparent purpose besides decoration, and the carefully crafted grand piano that rested in the deepest corner in the room. He still sensed nothing unusual.

Shrugging it off, he wandered to his cluttered desk, seating himself in the pricey armchair. It had been a long day; he'd just arrived home after nearly a month on tour. He missed this place. He missed _her_.

Lips raised in a weary smile, he plucked a framed photo off his desk. It depicted himself wrapping his arms around a girl, her blond bangs held back with hair clips, an innocent smile lighting up her makeup-less features. Rin.

Despite what those gossip columns and tabloids claimed, she'd always hold a special place in his heart, unrivaled by any other woman. He was sick of seeing "classified" photos of him beside associates, people drowning in their own vanity and self-image. He sincerely hoped he'd never become like them.

Rin, on the other hand, was just a pure, simple girl. And that was all he'd ever desire.

Setting the picture back in its rightful place, he creaked open a drawer overflown with envelopes all addressed to Len Kagamine- himself.

Rin was the reason jet-lag failed to take ahold of him. In two days, she'd be visiting, along with her college friends. He was too thrilled to sleep, so he decided it best to take some time and sort through fan mail.

He sighed after tossing countless letters in the wastebasket. Most of the letters consisted of twelve-year-old girls confessing their undying love to him. Sometimes he wondered why he bothered to read it.

No, that wasn't true. Though it was the vast minority, he would occasionally stumble upon a letter worth responding to. Poems written by aspiring lyricists, grateful teenagers that turned to his music for comfort in times of trouble, and once he even received a heartwarming request. It was sent by a brother that asked for an autograph to give to his dying sister as a birthday present. Len had personally cleared his itinerary to go and hand the girl the autograph.

His gaze soon grew unfocused so he slid the drawer shut. He strode to the piano, where he plucked at various chords, vaguely recreating the melody to one of his newest hits. As his fingers glossed over the ivory keys, his mind floated back towards the group of girls who would be visiting. They planned to stay for about a month; it was winter break, and their parents apparently didn't object to the idea of letting their children be housed elsewhere.

In truth, he was excited. Rin had told him that her friends enjoyed puzzles, so he secretly set up a scavenger hunt, of sorts, to occupy them. He hadn't even warned IA or Kaito. There was a reason he purchased this gothic structure over much larger, modern manors he could afford; with this house, came secrets. And those secrets where ones that Len had discovered on his own.

Little to Len's knowledge, it was that very scavenger hunt that would later save his life.

His tune was halted when he heard a soft knocking. He pushed away the piano bench went to open the door.

He wasn't surprised to see the visitor that he received. "Hello, Len."

He smiled politely and stepped back to allow his caller entrance to the room, holding the door open by habit. "Nice to see you…" Len started, then trailed off, confusion wiping his face. "Wait, why are you-"

His question was cut off by the slam of the door, shutting Len out from the arched hallway beyond. A grin slipped onto the visitor's lips. "Why am I here? To see you, of course."

Silent with shock, Len took a step back. The visitor took a step forward. "You see, Len, I need something of you."

Len's voice was hoarse. "What?"

"Come with me." Len had no choice. A pistol was aimed directly at his head.

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**I'm really sorry for starting new fanfics when I have a billion unfinished, but I've wanted to write this for ages! Mysteries are so fun~**

**And this is actually inspired by a vocaloid song, but I won't tell you what it is until the end (because otherwise the culprit would be obvious.) It isn't a very well-known song, but if any readers happen to figure out what it is DO. NOT. TELL. Or I'll flag your review and spam your inbox with hate-messages, or something. xD Seriously, though, feel free to PM me any guesses- don't leave it in a review. **

**I can already tell I'll enjoy writing this~**


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